For the Week of August 14th

Management Changes:

FRCH Design Worldwide (Cincinnati architecture and design firm) has named Luanne Carleton and Paul Palko directors, retail centers team.

Benchmark (Cincinnati design firm) has hired Camile Popplewell as vp and market leader, beauty and fashion.

Sparks Custom Retail (Philadelphia creator of environments, events and exhibits) has hired Suzanne Wells as vp, events.

GRID2 Intl. (New York design firm) has promoted the following: Susan Weingarten, senior associate, environmental graphics and signage; Wendy Burns, associate, environmental and fixture design and planning; David Pinter, associate, architecture and interior design; Felix Pinto, associate, store planning and project management.

Versatile Card Technology (Downers Grove, Ill., financial plastic card manufacturer) promoted Suresh Kumar to vp, SmartCard operations.

Ovation In-Store (Maspeth, N.Y., display and fixture manufacturer) named Melissa Weshler Oratz, executive vp and coo.

Rapid Rack Industries Inc. (City of Industry, Calif., provider of shelving and workbenches) has hired Karen Roberson as marketing manager.

api(+) (Tampa, Fla., design firm) has hired Fernando Williams, Mario Tur and Armando Romero at its new Miami office.

Mergers/Acquisitions:

Cubellis (Boston architectural, interior design and engineering firm) has partnered with Design Concepts Architects (dca, Vienna, Va., architecture firm) to form the joint practice, Cubellis dca, in its Tyson’s Corner office.

Relocations:

Retail Forward Inc. to Two Easton Oval, Suite 500 Columbus, OH 43219. Phone: 614-355-4000.

Store Openings:

Brastraps.com (Fort Lauderdale, Fla., bra strap manufacturer) will open its first kiosk in the South Florida Broward Mills Mall.

Business Briefs:

Real Digital Media (RDM, Sarasota, Fla., digital signage product provider) has partnered with AccuWeather (State College, Pa., web, print and media content provider) to offer digital signage operators access to weather, sports and news information.

Cubellis (Boston architectural, interior design and engineering firm) announced Anthi Frangiadis, associate principal, architecture, has received her LEED-Accreditation by the United States Green Building Council.

(Grayslake, Ill., visual communication provider) designed, produced and installed racing graphics for the Checkers/Rally’s no. 37 race car at NASCAR’s Allstate 400 at The Brickyard.